Tag: Nintendo Switch

Upcoming PAX West Exhibit Dev Chats – Collecting reader questions!

Dear Readers,

I expect to be meeting with a number of developers at PAX West to discuss their upcoming or recently released games, and I want to include interview questions from you! I’ll happily incorporate as many questions as I can in any time I have with the devs for these awesome indie games.

Below, in no specific order, I’ve listed each of the respective studios and the games they are showing that I’ll be trying to speak with a representative about. You can look forward to eventual reviews for almost all of them!

Haven – The Game Bakers

Haven is one of the games I’m probably most excited about at PAX West. I’ve had my eye on it from the moment it was announced by the team that made Furi.

“Like Furi, Haven is about fighting for freedom. 

Haven is about two characters, Yu and Kay, a couple in love. They escaped to a deserted planet to stay together. You play both of them, you live with them, you explore fragmented planet Source with them, gliding over the tall grass.

It’s a completely different pace. It’s a game that aims at making you feel relaxed, making you laugh, making you fall in love with Yu and Kay. It feels good for all types of players, skilled and less skilled. It’s a solo game that’s welcoming for another player to tag along, so you can explore and progress together.  “


– The Game Bakers

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Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark Review (Switch) – hunting truth and justice

Launching a strategy square tactics Switch game hot on the heels of the newest Fire Emblem release is a bold move, but Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark holds its own quite well! It is important to remember that this is not a triple A studio title, so I won’t evaluate it as such. Fell Seal is a solid entry in the genre, presenting an interesting story, a generous amount of customizable features, a memorable soundtrack, and a unique, beautiful, art style that appears as if hand drawn.

Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is a great game that will appeal most of all to nostalgic Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre fans and may be the successor they have been waiting on. Having not playing either of the games that seem to have inspired it, I enjoyed Fell Seal very much and would wholeheartedly recommend it to any lover of strategy-tactics games.

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My Time at Portia (Switch) Impressions – two patches post launch

Released on April 16th, the Switch version of My Time at Portia was originally met with heavy criticism for its poorly optimized, well, everything. Compared to the PC version, there were widespread reports of texture pop-in, cut features, missing quests and items, input lag, frame rate skips and stuttering, and overall game slowdown. The game looks lovely and I wanted to try it so I was saddened to hear of these issues. After two patches have been released for the Switch port, one in May and one in June, let’s check out how things are going at Portia on the Switch.

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Field Report – Super Smash Con 2019!

Super Smash Con is widely considered to be of one the definitive Super Smash Bros. events in the global competitive scene. With over 2,700 tournament entrants for the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate singles tournament alone and hundreds more spread across the 9 other major SSB tournament categories, Super Smash Con is one of the largest Smash Bros. events and tournament series in the world. If you have ever thought about making the trip to attend Super Smash Con in Chantilly, VA, I would highly recommend adding it to your 2020 convention schedule!

Note: Above billboard art in front of the Dulles Expo Center is by @TheFunkyEngineThatCould.

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Dead in Vinland (Switch) Impressions

Dead in Vinland’s True Viking Edition released on the Nintendo Switch about a month ago, which includes both DLC updates since its original launch on PC. In an intriguing mixed-genre cocktail, Dead in Vinland will have you diving into a survival, strategy, roguelite, choose-your-own-adventure, management sim experience with a side of enjoyable, turn based combat. Whew! Those are a lot of elements to fit in one game. How does this highly stylized, artistic title handle the intersection of so many genre inspirations?

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Fire Emblem Three Houses Review (Switch) – a shining, new standard

Fire Emblem Three Houses is massive and ambitious, seamlessly joining fresh gameplay elements inspired by other genres with the beloved, traditional Fire Emblem square tactics formula in a manner that feels natural and immersive. In the following review I will avoid talking about the story because no one likes spoilers this soon after release and each House has a different cast and plot-line. All of them are excellent and will command your attention for dozens of hours!

Three Houses puts the player in charge of one of three Houses of academy students, each respectively representing the three major nations surrounding the Officer’s Academy, a school run within a monastery by the Church for the purpose of encouraging peace between countries. Each of the upcoming rulers of those nations is the head of their respective House: the Blue Lions, the Golden Deer, and the Black Eagles. Will you stand with fierce, chivalrous Dimitri, charming, cavalier Claude, or confident, stubborn Edelgard? It is entirely up to you to get to know the students and decide which House you will lead into the future as their Professor, battle comrade, and dear companion.

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Songbird Symphony (Switch) Review – happy tweets

Songbird Symphony is akin to an animated Disney film in that it is family-friendly, obviously lovable by a young audience, but still very approachable by adults thanks to its art, wit, and personality. The humor and emotional story elements found within will be as appealing to adult players as they are to younger players. Don’t let the cutesy graphics fool you though – Songbird Symphony presents some gruelingly difficult rhythm challenges that will keep you on your toes. This colorful title releases PC and consoles tomorrow, July 25th.

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Real Neat Blog Award Tag

real-neat-blog-award

Thank you to Emily of the delightful Monster Lady’s Diary who nominated me for the Real Neat Blog Award! Rules: Answer 7 questions, create 7 of your own, nominate 7 awesome bloggers to answer them! Goooo!

To answer Emily’s questions…

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Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble (Switch) Review – advanced niche

Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is a love letter to Advance Wars. It is a solid square tactics game with smooth visuals, though it does not introduce anything innovative to the square tactics strategy genre. If you are not into square tactics games, then Tiny Metal is probably not going to be your cup of tea. If you like games like Advance Wars or Wargroove, you may enjoy Tiny Metal!

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Backlog Crusader is going to PAX West!

It’s happening! We’re legit now, people!! I just wanted to thank my readers and fellow gaming bloggers for all of your support, especially my first Patrons on my Patreon, Normal Happenings and the Well Red Mage! I would never have been approved for a pass without all of you and I’m so grateful.

Anyone going to be at PAX or live in the Seattle area? Leave me a comment or email me if you’d like to meet up. 🙂